Time For a Change
by littlemissgiggles456
Summary: Set after the performance of "Creep" in Guilty Pleasures. After her break up with Brody, Rachel takes a hard look at the way her life is currently turning out and decides that it's time to make some changes, starting with her wardrobe choices, then with Finn. Slight Klaine :) - ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Time for a Change - Chapter 1

*Set after the performance of "Creep" in Guilty Pleasures*

As Rachel got off the subway and made her way back to the apartment she shared with Kurt and Santana, she went over in her mind the previous events of the day.

She had found out that her boyfriend (or rather, ex boyfriend) Brody was a gigolo, as Santana vulgarly put it. Kurt had tried to be a good best gay and keep the secret from her until after her Funny Girl audition. She could see Kurt's reason as to why he would keep such a secret from her, but Santana was right; she needed to know for her own good. Rachel had felt angry and hurt at first, shutting herself in her room for hours pondering over the revelation. She didn't want to believe that the guy she had been seeing and sharing a bed with was selling his body for dirty work. But she had straightened up, and gone to confront him at NYADA that afternoon.

She found him in one of the studios, standing by a piano. When she confronted him, pressing money into his hand and revealing his secret only to then throw the money angrily at his stupid face, he became defensive. He stated that he only did it to pay for his NYADA fees and that in no way was he proud of it. Rachel couldn't care less if he had liked it, she was still angry at him for lying to her, and at herself, for being so stupid by trusting him. He had pointed out that she hadn't been completely honest with him either, knowing that she had slept with Finn at Mr. Shue's wedding and that he had given Brody a black eye. Rachel didn't deny the pain she felt in her heart at that moment, her unhealed heartache for Finn, and the anger inside her at her actions.

They had a 'mature break up' as she liked to call it, ending by dueting on Radiohead's "Creep". As the song reached it's climax and neared the end, Rachel had a lot of thoughts running through her mind. _"What am I doing with my life? This isn't the reason I came to New York. I came to New York to be the star I've always dreamed of being, not to date a male hooker, completely change aspects of my personality and image whilst growing up way too fast at the same time"_

As the song finished and they parted ways on the stage without another look or word to each other, she realised that she needed a change. It was time to go back to her old self, old clothes and start again.

When Rachel reached the apartment, she went straight to her wardrobe and began to take out everything that was the colour black. Black didn't suit her, bright colours like pink, yellow and red did. She felt a sense of satisfaction as she tossed them into a pile onto her bed and heard footsteps in her doorway.

"Having a clean out are we?" Kurt asked, as he wandered over to inspect the clothes on Rachel's bed, picking up various items and trying to comprehend what she was doing.

"I've had a reality check. I didn't come here to completely change who I am deep down. I came here to be a star, whilst at the same time not changing who I am. I may not go back to reindeer sweaters, but I'm definitely not wearing anything black ever again, unless it's for a performance" Rachel said from her wardrobe where she was putting some of her old clothes back in that she had kept in secret, in a suitcase under her bed. She stood back and admired her work before moving onto her dressing table, sorting through her make-up. She tossed out all her thick black eye liner and mascara, only deciding to keep the natural tones. She put her curling iron back in the draw, deciding that she didn't need a lot of curls to look beautiful and that straight hair suited her a lot better.

"So, what are you going to do with all these non Rachel Berry clothes?" Kurt asked from her bed.

"I don't know, I might see if Santana wants any of them, otherwise I might as well give them to charity" Rachel shrugged as she began to neatly fold them.  
"What would Santana want?" Santana said as she appeared all of a sudden in Rachel's room. Rachel looked up at her friend and indicated to the clothes on her bed.

"I thought you might want some of these, black seems to be more your colour, not mine" Santana walked over to Rachel's bed and looked at the clothes.  
"As kind as that is Berry, I don't really fancy dressing like a hooker, no offence. What has made you come to this anyway?" Santana asked, crossing her arms and looking Rachel. Rachel shrugged her shoulders and sat down on her bed with Kurt.

"I ended it with Brody this afternoon, as you were expecting. Strangely enough, whilst I do feel a bit heartbroken, at the same time I feel like it's forced me to take a really hard look at where my life is going at the moment and make some changes" Santana smiled, pleased that her friend was finally coming to her senses.

"I'm glad Rachel. I mean, I'm sorry that you're going through yet another break up, but really you don't need him. He was leading you to make all these wrong decisions, and we, Kurt and I, are helping you make the right ones. What do you think would have happened if Kurt hadn't voiced his opinion when you were cast in that student film to do a topless scene, or if Quinn and I hadn't come all the way out here to do an intervention? Brody wasn't a good influence on you Rachel, whilst he was slightly good looking for a man made out of plastic, and I can't believe that I'm saying this, but Finn was the only good man that you will ever have" Santana stood up and left Rachel's room, leaving her with Kurt.

"Are you mad? I mean you were the one who gave me the makeover and told me to change my style a little so that I wouldn't feel like I was the dorky girl being picked on for her clothing choices" Rachel asked as she turned to Kurt. He smiled and shook his head at her.

"No Rachel, I want you to be happy. I know, I thought a makeover would make you feel refreshed and ready to embrace New York, but when your make – up started getting heavier, and your clothes darker, I realised that you might just be getting carried away. I totally agree with you when you say that it's time to make some changes and not hide who you truly are underneath. Now, come on, I'll help you take this to the charity shop" She and Kurt picked up the clothes of her pretend self and carried them downstairs and across the road.

When they came back to the apartment, Rachel went back to her bedroom and stared at her new wardrobe. She smiled and thought "_This is who I'm supposed to be"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews/favourites/follows - I really appreciate it, especially on my first fanfic! Here is chapter 2, a little shorter than the previous chapter but I hope you like it :)**

When Rachel woke up the next day, she felt refreshed and ready to embrace the brand new day. She showered and dressed in a red polka dot dress with white knee high socks and black shoes. She kept her hair straight and let her bangs shape into her face and applied little make – up, keeping the natural look which suited her the most. She smiled at herself in her mirror, proud of the decision she had made. Brody was completely out of her life, her Funny Girl audition was coming up and she was more than ready for it, and she had finally gotten used to Santana living with her and Kurt. The only thing missing though was Finn. There hadn't been a day that went by when she didn't think about him at least once. Even when she didn't want to think about him due to the pain it caused, he was always in her thoughts, smiling his signature half crooked smile or cheering her on in her fantasies of winning Tony's. Rachel was contemplating whether or not to contact Finn; she hadn't spoken to him since Mr. Shue's wedding disaster. She also didn't know whether to tell him or not about her pregnancy scare – she knew it would probably freak him out like the time when he found out that Quinn was pregnant in their sophomore year.

Rachel decided to see what Kurt thought she should do, since he was his step brother and talked to him on a more regular basis than she currently did. Smoothing out her clothes, she walked gracefully into the kitchen, where Kurt and Santana were seated at the table drinking coffee and eating breakfast.

"Morning old Rachel" Kurt smiled at her as she joined them at the table and poured herself some coffee. Santana smiled too as she drank her own strong cup of coffee to wake herself up. "Morning guys" Rachel beamed at her room mates.

"So Kurt, I was wondering whether I should call Finn and see how he's doing" Rachel said carefully, taking another sip of coffee. Kurt looked up from his cereal and looked at Rachel. "Rachel I think that's a great idea, I mean, Finn has been asking me nearly every phone call since the wedding whether or not you got his messages. He obviously wants to hear from you and I don't know why you've been ignoring him since the wedding and I wouldn't torture him any longer if I were you"

Once again, Santana felt the need to chime in and reveal a secret.

"Lady Hummel, the reason Rachel hasn't contacted Finn since Mr Shue's bomb of a wedding is because she thought had a mini Rachel Berry growing inside of her"

Kurt dropped his spoon abruptly into his bowl and turned to look at Rachel with his mouth wide open and eyes wide. "Shut up! Please do not tell me that you were almost pregnant! Seriously Rachel! Do you not know the purpose of a condom – didn't Miss Holliday's awkward and embarrassing demonstrations with cucumbers back in high school teach you anything?"

Rachel rolled her eyes slightly at her best friend "Yes Kurt, I did have a pregnancy scare, a month after I came back from Lima after the wedding and I noticed that my period was late. I took a pregnancy test which came back positive, but Santana took me to the doctor and I got the all clear so there is nothing for you to worry about. Also, yes I do know the purpose of a condom, and please stop referencing vegetables with contraception!"

Kurt relaxed slightly and sat back into his chair but still seemed suspicious "Wait, if you said that you noticed this about a month after the wedding, does this mean that you slept with Finn at the wedding? Is this why you're asking me whether or not you should call him?"

Santana got up from her chair and went over to the sink to rinse her cup out. "How could you not know that Frankenteen and Berry hooked up at the wedding? Everyone did; even you and Blaine" Kurt winced slightly at the memory and the mention of Blaine's name, but turned back to Rachel, ignoring Santana. "Rachel, you need to call Finn. I'm saying this as your best friend and also his step brother. You need to tell him about your pregnancy scare just so that he is careful in the future and because he has a right to know. You said yourself that you wanted to make the change back to your old self. Your old self includes Finn, so go get him back" Kurt stood up and left the kitchen, leaving Rachel alone with Santana.

"Kurt's right, call Finn. It will help boost you even further on your transformation back to the old Rachel Berry. I may not be the one for regressing back to your old self, but you certainly are, because the old Rachel worked and the new one didn't" With that, Santana left the room to the bathroom, leaving Rachel in the kitchen with a banana in one hand, and her phone in the other, her thumb hovering over the 'call' button.

**Sorry to end on a cliff hanger, but I hope you liked this chapter and the next one will be up sometime to tomorrow :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Time for a Change – Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Chapter 3 is up as promised :) This is longer than the two previous chapters but I hope you like it all the same. Thanks for all the reviews/favourites/follows :)**

It took some thinking, but Rachel finally found the courage within her to finally call Finn. She wasn't sure on how he would react to her telling him that she had a pregnancy scare. She didn't think he would worry too much, since she actually wasn't pregnant. Sighing to herself, Rachel hit the 'call' button her her phone. It rang twice before the man she loved picked up on the other end.

"Rachel?" Finn's voice came through clear as a bell.

"H-Hey Finn, how are you?" Rachel replied carefully. She needed to get him casual and relaxed.

"I'm great, finally finding my place at the University of Lima. Puck is here as well, so I don't feel so lonely and it's nice to have someone you know." He sounded happy and that made her smile.

"That's great Finn, I'm so happy that you've finally found what you want to do." She replied, not knowing whether now was the time to get to the point. But, he beat her to it.

"Yeah. So anyway, why are you calling? We haven't spoken since Mr. Shue's wedding and I kept asking Kurt if you got any of my messages and you didn't get back to me so I figured that you were either ignoring me because of what happened between Brody and I or that your phone was broken or something" Finn said to her, eagerly waiting her response.

Rachel sighed. "I'm not mad about what happened between you and Brody. I really appreciate you listening to Santana for once and coming all the way out here when I know that you had other commitments to defend my honour, so thank you. The reason I'm calling and partly the reason as to why I haven't spoken to you since the wedding is because after the wedding, a month after the wedding, I found myself almost in a situation that I don't want to be in until I'm married or until after I've won my first Tony" She closed her eyes, wondering if he could piece together what she was saying. There was a slight pause before he spoke again.

"Wait, Rachel are you saying that you thought you were pregnant?" Finn asked.

"Yeah. It was just a scare though. I'm never trusting those cheap pregnancy tests ever again. But this is a bit of a wake – up call Finn. Not only for you to be careful; not that you weren't – we either were too caught up in each other or the condom just broke. I can't really remember. But anyway, everything that's happened these past few months, it's made me take a hard look at where my life is going and made me what to make some changes. I want you to know that I've changed my look back to the way I used to look and no more curls, dark clothes or dark make – up" Rachel paused for a moment, letting Finn take everything in.

"That's great Rach, I'm glad that you're sorting your life out. To be honest I prefer your straight hair and bright clothes. That other style that you had when I came and visited you in New York before we broke up didn't suit you" Finn answered, a hint of a smile in his voice.

Rachel smiled at Finn calling him her old nickname. "Yeah, and um, it's made me realise that Brody wasn't really who I want to share my life with. I want to share my life with you. I realise that it's not going to be easy, since we've been apart for a while now and both live in different parts of the country, but I at least want to get to know you again, and then maybe we can see where that takes us?" She held her breath slightly, hoping that he would agree. She really wanted him to be a major part of her life again.

Finn took a breath on the other end of the line "I think that sounds great. How about I come to New York to see you when I'm on my semester break? It's only a few weeks away and I haven't seen you, Kurt, or even Santana for a while"

"That sounds great Finn. I can't wait" Rachel replied happily into the phone.

"Great, so I'll see you then. Keep in touch until we see each other alright? I've got to go now, but I will call you soon. Bye Rach"

Rachel smiled "Bye Finn. I can't wait to see you"

She ended the call and wiped away a stray tear that ran down her cheek. She was so glad that Finn had taken the pregnancy scare well, and had agreed to seeing her. It was so important to her that Finn was in her life. She needed him in her life, to support her, protect her and most of all to love her. Brody never cared about her half as much as Finn did, and she couldn't wait to see Finn when he came to New York.

Rachel sat on the couch for a bit, before she heard Santana came in.

"Did you call him?" Santana asked as she sat down next to Rachel.

"Yeah. He's coming to New York to see us; to see _me _during his semester break in a few weeks" Rachel said, staring at her phone. Santana could sense that there was something else on Rachel's mind. She would think that Rachel would be over the moon that Finn was coming to stay.

"Rachel" Santana began, concerned, "What's wrong? You don't seem happy that Finn's coming to see you"

Rachel took a deep breath and tried to ignore the lump in her throat. "I feel like such an idiot. I was the one who broke up with Finn, only to begin immediately dating a man who didn't care for me as much as he does. I feel so stupid for trying to make Finn jealous; it must have caused him so much heartache, especially when I changed my relationship status on Facebook to "shacked up". Then, when I saw Finn at the wedding, everything, my feelings, my emotions, my love for him came flooding back, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it. Our night together in that hotel was the best night I've had since winning the winter showcase and I don't regret a single moment of it. Oh Santana, how could I have been so stupid for hurting Finn like that!" Rachel sobbed, collapsing into the pillows on the couch as Santana rubbed her back gently.

"There, there Rachel. I'm sure Finn knows that you didn't mean to make him jealous. He's known you for years and broken up and gotten back together with you before; he knows what you're like when you're hurting, and you were hurting when you did all of that stuff. Everyone does strange and sometimes stupid things when they're going through heartbreak because it feels like they've lost their way in life for a bit. Look at me, when I broke up with Brittany, I dropped out of college, and bribed a girl to be my pretend girlfriend to make Brittany jealous, all because I was hurting and felt lost, especially when I found out that she was dating Trouty Mouth" Santana said, hoping to ease Rachel's sadness.

"Don't beat yourself up over what happened between you and Finn and all the stuff that went on with you and Donkey Face. Everyone makes mistakes, and luckily you're smart enough to come to your senses and fix your life" Santana said, as Rachel wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"Thanks Santana, I feel a bit better. I just hope that Finn and I can get back to that state of pure perfection and happiness that we shared last year"

Santana nodded. "I know you will, you're Finchel for god's sakes!" Santana smiled, and Rachel smiled too, believing her friend.

**Chapter 4 hopefully up tomorrow - Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Time for a Change – Chapter 4

**Hey guys - here is Chapter 4, a little short, but I hope you like it :) Thank you so much for all the reviews/favourites/follows - they all mean a lot to me**

The days following her talk with Santana went by fairly easily for Rachel. She'd had her Funny Girl audition,and thanks to a song suggestion from Finn, she had scored a call back in a few weeks. Rachel was enjoying the transition she had made back to her old self, and Kurt and Santana had noticed how alive, and happy she was. She was always wearing a smile on her bright face, and didn't let anything get in her way.

Until today.

Rachel marched happily through the busy, musical hallways of NYADA, on her way to her dance class with Cassandra July. Rachel didn't seem to mind Cassie anymore, and the two and gotten to know each other better. Rachel had come to realise that the reason Cassie pushed her was because she knew that Rachel could succeed and become the star she wanted to be.

As Rachel neared the door to the dance studio, she heard a familiar voice call out behind her.

"Oh Rachel, what have you done?" Brody asked, appearing suddenly in the hallway behind her. Rachel rolled her eyes and turned around to face him. She didn't have time or the patience to say anything to him. "What do you want Brody?" Rachel said, irritated that he still had the nerve to speak to her.

"I want to know why all of a sudden you've changed back to your toddler – style clothes. Is that Finn's taste is it? Does he get turned on when you dress like a baby?" Brody sneered, coming towards her. Rachel crossed her arms and glared at him. He was wasting her valuable time with his ridiculous questions and she took offence at his comments about her clothes. Finn thought she was beautiful in them. "That's none of your business Brody. If I want to dress this way then so be it" With that, Rachel turned around and stalked off down the hallway and into the dance studio. She was almost at fuming point after her confrontation with Brody. She knew that they would see each other in the halls because they both attend NYADA, but she didn't think he would actually come up and speak to her, let alone insult her, about matters that aren't even his business. Now that she no longer cared for him, Rachel could see how narrow minded Brody really was. If he really loved her like he claimed to, then he would have accepted her style choices no matter what she wore. Finn always loved Rachel's clothes, even her reindeer sweaters, and that always made Rachel feel happy.

When Rachel arrived home later that day from NYADA, she decided to call Finn and tell her about her day. Picking up her phone, she pressed the speed dial for Finn's number and he picked up after the first ring.

"Hey Rach, I was wondering when you were going to call. How did your audition go?" Finn asked, happy to hear her voice. Rachel smiled, knowing Finn never forgot about important events in her life. "It was great. I got a call back" Rachel replied, feeling really happy.

"Oh my god, that's awesome Rach! I totally knew that you would get one. I couldn't stop thinking about how you might of gone, and when you didn't call me straight after, I was worried that you had choked like you did last year for your NYADA audition" Finn said, and Rachel winced slightly at one of the most traumatic events of her life, but was glad that Finn cared about her a lot.

"Yeah, and I have you to thank. You were the one who told me to go back to the roots of my passion and do something straight from my heart. You know when I sang 'Don't Stop Believing' I pictured you, Kurt, Tina, Mercedes, Artie and I when we first performed in the auditorium. It brought back so many memories and even the judges saw that the song held a personal meaning to me" Rachel said honestly, remembering her flashback she experienced during her audition.

"I'm glad I could help Rach. I can't wait to come and see you and if you need help picking out a song for your call back, you know who to call" Finn said happily.

"Thanks Finn, for everything, for believing in me. I couldn't have done it without you and I can't wait until you come to New York. I'll talk to you soon okay? Bye Finn" Rachel said.

"Bye Rach, talk soon" Finn said, and Rachel hung up the phone, feeling so glad that she had Finn in her life again.


	5. Chapter 5

Time for a Change – Chapter 5

**Hey guys - Chapter 5 is finally up, hope you like it and as always, thanks for the reviews/favourites/follows :D**

_A few weeks later_

Rachel sat anxiously waiting at the kitchen table with her mug of coffee grasped in her hands. He should be here any minute now. Finn was due to arrive around lunchtime today after taking the morning flight to New York from Lima. Rachel had been counting down the days until he arrived, marking each day off on her calender with a gold star. She had been looking forward to this day ever since that phone call when he had mentioned the idea of coming to visit her. Finn was on his semester break and so was Rachel. NYADA had just finished up their classes a few days ago, and Rachel had also had her Funny Girl call back. She had sung "To Love You More" by Celine Dion and had sung it with soul and passion. The producers said they would let her know after the semester break, so all she could do was wait for her result. In a way, she was glad that she wouldn't be finding out until after after class went back, because she just wanted to spend her break with Finn. She hadn't seen the man since Mr. Shue's wedding where she had left the hotel room they had shared the next morning before he woke up. Looking back to that moment, Rachel felt guilty that she had left so abruptly to go back to New York, but then again, if she had waited until Finn woke up, it might have been harder to say goodbye.

Rachel's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Kurt, who had not long come out of the shower with a bathroom robe on, knew who it would be. "I'll get it!" He shouted as he bolted for the door, trying not to slip over in his wet attire. He opened the door and revealed his step brother with a big smile on his face.

"Finn! It's so good to see you!" Kurt cried and engulfed his much taller step brother in a hug. Finn smiled and hugged him back. "It's great to see you dude, is that a new look?" Finn joked as he took in Kurt's appearance. Kurt rolled his eyes. "Yes Finn, I'm going for a bathroom look – very fashionable in New York" He replied sarcastically and headed back to the bathroom to finish off his routine.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Frankenteen" Santana chimed in as she came in from watching TV. Finn didn't mind so much that Santana still called him that. "Nice to see you too, Santana" Finn replied, and gave her a friendly hug. Santana noticed Rachel sitting at the table. "Well, I'll just get back to my movie" She said, and went back to the TV.

Finn put his bag down by the door and caught Rachel's eye. She put her coffee down and stood up and walked over to him. She couldn't believe that he was finally here. They stood there, in the middle of the apartment just staring at each other.

"Hey" Finn finally said, breaking the silence. Rachel looked at the floor for a second before looking up at the man who stood before her. She all of a sudden felt overwhelmed with emotion and couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Finn" She said quietly, and all of a sudden flung herself onto him, burying her face into his shoulder. Finn was a little surprised at Rachel's sudden action, but wrapped his arms around her tiny frame and sighed, breathing in the strawberry scent of her hair. They held each other for a moment, not moving, not saying anything, until Finn heard Rachel sniffling softly on his shoulder. He pulled back to look at her.

"Rach are you okay?" Finn asked, slightly concerned. Rachel wiped her tears on her sleeve. "Oh Finn, I'm just so glad that you're here. I have a lot of apologising and explaining to do. I'm so sorry that I broke up with you, and everything that went down when Kurt and I came and saw Grease, dating Brody to make you jealous, leaving you in the hotel room after the wedding – I just don't know what I was thinking...I...I..." Rachel sobbed, covering her face with her hands. Finn bent down to her level and slowly and carefully removed her hands to reveal her tear – stained face.

"Rach, it's okay. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere until my break is over and I have to go back to Lima. I know that you've made some mistakes and I know that you regret them. You don't have to explain anything. We have a tether, remember? I always know what you're feeling" Finn soothed, hoping that Rachel would calm down. Rachel nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry Finn. I guess I just got myself a little worked up over you coming to New York. I was thrilled and excited, but also at the same time, scared that you would still hate me for all the hurt I caused you" Finn grabbed Rachel's face in his hands so that she would look at him.

"Rach, I do forgive you. I will always forgive you, because I love you too much and I could never stay mad at you" Finn said with a smile.

"I love you too" Rachel whispered.

**Chapter 6 coming soon :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Time for a Change – Chapter 6

**Hey guys - Kind of a shorter chapter today, but I hope you still like it. I'm kind of still deciding where to go next in this story, so I decided to add a kind of twist - Enjoy :)**

Later that day, Rachel and Finn were in Rachel's room, Finn sitting on Rachel's bed whilst Rachel rummaged through her wardrobe looking for something. Rachel had calmed herself down since what happened when Finn had arrived, and Finn had assured her that he wasn't mad at her or going to leave her again. They had agreed that they were going to take some time to get to know each other again before they decided if they wanted to get back together officially.

"Found it!" Rachel cried, as she carried a large photo album out of her wardrobe and sat down next to Finn on her bed. She had found the photo album she had created last year, as a memento for when she moved from Lima to New York. It was full of photos of past glee competitions, all their glee friends, Mr. Shue, their families and of Rachel and Finn themselves on dates. Finn smiled as they flipped through the photos together, reminiscing about their high school days.

"I'm glad you still have this, I was afraid you threw it out or something when you had that abrupt personality and wardrobe change" Finn said, as he studied the picture of New Directions at Nationals last year.

"Nah, I just kept this hidden away in a safe place in my wardrobe. Brody never cared for talking about the past and didn't listen when I would talk about glee club. I could never bring myself to throw out such wonderful memories" Rachel smiled, missing her glee club days.

"Well, I will always love it when you talk about glee club, and anything else that you didn't get to talk about because Mr. Plastic Ass didn't like it" Finn said, wrapping his arms around Rachel's waist and resting his chin on her head. Rachel leaned back slightly into Finn's chest "I'm really glad you're here Finn" Rachel said quietly. Finn smiled into her hair. "Me too, Rach"

"Awww, look at the happy Finchel!" Santana said, appearing in the doorway with Kurt. Rachel looked up and smiled at her two room mates. "Hey! Look what I found in my wardrobe" She said, and Kurt and Santana joined them on the bed.

"Oh my god I remember this!" Kurt gushed and took the album out of Rachel's hands so he could take a closer look. He flipped through endless pages of competitions, parties, and all the couple photos. When one came up of him and Blaine, Kurt closed the album abruptly.

"Um, Santana, do you want a look?" Kurt said quickly, hoping no one had noticed. Santana took the book and had a look through whilst Kurt stood up and headed into the kitchen.

"I'm going to make popcorn and watch Moulin Rouge if anyone wants to join me" he called out.

"What's up with him?" Finn asked as he watched Santana look through the album. Santana sighed and looked up at Finn and Rachel. "Well obviously, Porcelain still has some ex-boyfriend-have-no-idea-whether-to-get-back-toge ther issues"

"Isn't he seeing that Adam guy from NYADA or something?" Finn asked, still a bit confused at his step – brother's quick disappearance.

"Nah, that didn't really go anywhere after Adam found out that Kurt's fondness for "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge circulates around the fact that he and Blaine claimed that it's their wedding song" Rachel said, worried about her best friend.

"Oh well, hopefully Lady Hummel figures something out" Santana said, and went to see if Kurt had anymore popcorn left over in the living room.

Finn turned to Rachel. "Hey Rach, I know that me spending time here is supposed to be so that we can get to know each other again, and it is, but I'm still worried about Kurt. Maybe, we could find a way for Kurt to feel better and get him and Blaine to the stage you and I are in now" Finn said, as Rachel pondered the idea in her mind.  
"That's not a bad idea Finn, I could talk to Kurt and maybe see if he will open up to me, and maybe later on, when McKinley is on their break, convince Blaine to come and join us in New York. He was planning on applying to NYADA apparently, so I could suggest that he come and visit so I can give him a campus tour" Rachel said, thinking crafty.

"I like it" Finn smiled. "Helping out a friend and at the same time, getting to know each other again"

Rachel grinned at the man she loves. "You are such a genius" She said, and leaned her forehead against his, both of them smiling at each other.

**So, how do you like the incorporation of slight Klaine into the story? Chapter 7 up soon :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Time for a Change – Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 is finally up :) Thanks again for all the reviews/favourites/follows!**

Later that day, whilst Finn was in the shower and Santana was in her room, Rachel found Kurt sitting alone in the kitchen, staring out at the dark night sky of New York. She thought that it may be a good time to talk to Kurt about how he was feeling in regards to Blaine. She thought that by talking to someone, he might feel a little better; they were best friends after all.

"Hey" Rachel said and sat down next to Kurt at the table. He turned his head away from the window to look at her and smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey" Kurt replied quietly. He sighed and twirled his fingers on the table.

"Kurt, what's the matter with you? You've been acting strange ever since I announced that Finn was coming to stay. You seemed really happy to see him when he arrived, and then when we were all gathered in my room, you were only there for five minutes before disappearing again" Rachel said, worriedly.

Kurt sighed again. "Rachel, I appreciate you taking a concern in me and my life, but to be honest, and please forgive me for saying this, it's none of your business right now. Whatever issues I have with Blaine or Adam or anyone for that matter, they're not for you to always try and be my guardian angel and help me with. I appreciate your concern, but right now I don't want to talk about it" Rachel stared at her best friend, a little surprised by his attitude. "Kurt, you're my best friend, and Finn's your step – brother, and we've always helped each other through hard times. We, including Santana, really and truly care about you. I understand that you're questioning a lot in your life right now, and all I'm trying to do is be someone who you can openly talk to about -"

"Rachel! Will you just leave it already! I don't want or need your help – if I did, I would have asked you. Now can you just go away and leave me in peace?!" Kurt snapped, and stormed of into his room, pulling the curtain across roughly, leaving Rachel alone in the kitchen, lost for words. Sighing, she got up and went to see if Finn had finished his shower. Walking into her room, she saw him lying on her bed in his pyjamas, reading a magazine. When he saw Rachel's worried face, he sat up, concerned.

"What happened Rach? I heard Kurt shouting" Finn said, as Rachel sat down on the bed next to him.

Rachel sighed. "Well, I tried to talk to him about his relationship issues, and all I do is ask what's the matter with him and he bites my head off, telling me it's none of my business. All I was trying to do was be a helpful friend" She sniffed, and Finn pulled her into a hug.

"Rach, it's alright. I'm sure it's a touchy subject for him to talk about it. Maybe just give him some space for a while and he'll settle down" Finn soothed.

"But he looks so depressed Finn. Every time we talk about Mr. Shue's wedding, or about our time in glee, Kurt leaves the room or changes the subject. I mean, look at what happened today" Rachel said, getting up and gathering her own pyjamas from her wardrobe.

"Yeah, but I do think it's best that we let him come to us. You've made your point that you're there for him, and sadly he rejected it, but I'm sure once he calms down, he'll change his mind" Finn said, lying back down on the bed.

"I hope so" Rachel said tiredly, and headed to the bathroom to do her night time ritual. Once she was done, she came back to her room and got into bed with Finn. Rachel was letting Finn share her bed whilst he was staying in New York, on the condition that there was no funny business – they weren't properly back together yet and she didn't need another pregnancy scare again. Finn had agreed, he was just happy to hold Rachel in his arms whilst they slept.

"So, how are you liking your stay so far?" Rachel said, turning to face him in the bed.

Finn yawned. "Yeah it's great. I really like how you guys have decorated the apartment. It looks more homey since I last visited.

Rachel smiled, glad that Finn was happy. They said good night to each other and Rachel turned out the light. Finn fell asleep almost instantly, whilst Rachel lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She knew she shouldn't get so worked up about Kurt, but she couldn't help it. He was her best friend, her best gay, and it made her sad to see him upset and not want to talk to her about it. Sighing, she rolled over and tried to get some sleep, not knowing what tomorrow was going to be like.


	8. Chapter 8

Time for a Change – Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I would have uploaded this yesterday but I've been having some internet issues, but its up now :) Hope you enjoy it and thanks again for all the reviews/favourites/follows :D**

Rachel woke up the next morning and stretched. She turned around behind her and saw that Finn wasn't in her bed. She got dressed and went out to the kitchen, where she saw Kurt and Santana at the table, and Finn at the stove, cooking up a lot of eggs and toast.

"Morning sleepy head" Finn said, turning to face her and smiling. He placed four plates down onto the table and he and Rachel sat down with Kurt and Santana to eat. Kurt pushed his plate away.

"Sorry, Finn. That looks delicious, but I'm not hungry" He said, avoiding eye contact with Rachel before getting up and heading towards the bathroom to take a shower. The three friends looked at each other quizzically. They had never seen Kurt turn down Finn's cooking, or even his own cooking before. Besides, Kurt was always encouraging Rachel and Santana to eat breakfast even when they didn't feel like it.

"I never knew Porcelain was dieting" Santana said, buttering her toast. Finn sighed. "I don't think he's dieting Santana, Kurt doesn't need to lose any weight; look at him. He and Rachel had a bit of an argument last night, about his issues with Blaine and I think that's why he's acting a bit strange" Rachel nodded in agreement.

"Since when are you trying to play matchmaker Berry? I thought you were more focused on other things right now" Santana said, nodding her head in Finn's direction. Rachel looked up from her plate. "I'm not trying to do that Santana. Well, not in so many ways, but I've just noticed, and I'm sure you've noticed too, how lonely and depressed Kurt has been lately. He hardly sings around here anymore. He just shuts himself in his room or watches movies in silence. Now he's gone off his food – I can't let him go on like this!" She said worriedly, and Santana nodded.

"I know, I've noticed it too, and if you can't get him to talk, then maybe I can" Santana stood up and started walking towards Kurt's room where she presumed he was, since the bathroom was now empty.

"Santana, I don't think that's a very good idea at the moment" Rachel said, trying to stop Santana from creating any further complications.

"Relax Berry, it's bound to have some impact. If I got you to stop dating that plastic mannequin, I can get Lady Hummel to see sense" Santana called out as she marched towards Kurt's room. Finn and Rachel both sighed and got up from the table to follow her. If a second intervention was in order, they would need to be there to help Kurt out.

Santana pulled back Kurt's curtain to reveal him staring at the ceiling. "What do you guys want now?" He said tiredly, and rolled over onto his side so that he wasn't facing them. Rachel, Finn and Santana came and sat on the bed with him, forcing him to sit up.

"Kurt...we're really worried about you. This isn't you. You look lonely and depressed and now you're not eating. I know that Rachel tried to talk to you and that didn't work out so well, so maybe two more opinions might make a difference" Finn said, worried about his step brother.

"We know that this is about Blaine. Kurt, we aren't stupid. We've seen the way you cringe whenever we mention glee or Mr. Shue's wedding, and we all saw how fast you left Rachel's room the other day" Santana said, carefully. At this stage, Kurt had tears silently rolling down his pale cheeks.

"Okay, okay. I know that I've been distant lately. I can't help it. Every time I hear his name, or something related to him, even seeing Finn and Rachel together makes me sad!" Kurt sobbed and Rachel pulled him into a hug, unable to see her friend suffer anymore. Kurt wiped his face on his sleeve. "Rachel, I'm so sorry I yelled at you. I'm just so stressed out and I don't know what to do" Rachel nodded. "I forgive you, Kurt. If I was in your situation I would have done the same thing. But, don't worry Kurt. We are all here for you, and whenever you need someone to talk to, we are all here for you" Kurt nodded. The four of them stayed together for a while, making sure that Kurt was alright.

That evening, Finn and Rachel were sitting on Rachel's bed together; Finn leaning against the headboard with his arm around Rachel as she leaned against his chest. They both agreed that they felt better that Kurt had finally opened up to them, and now were more focused on getting to know each other.

"If I was in Kurt's situation, I would have cracked long ago. I mean, I was kind of like that after we broke up. I didn't speak to anyone for days, I shut myself in my room and refused to talk to anyone" Finn said, quietly. Rachel turned herself around to face him. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore, because I'm never making a silly mistake like that again. You have my word, Finn Hudson" Rachel said, smiling. Finn smiled back. "You know, there's something I've been wanting to do ever since I got here." He said, moving closer to her until their foreheads were almost touching. "What's that?" Rachel whispered. Before she knew it, Finn's lips were on hers and all the feelings she had from last year came flooding back. She had missed this sensation so much. Brody's kisses were nothing compared to Finn's. Finn always kissed her with passion, desire and most of all, love. Rachel melted into Finn's kiss and was left speechless when he finally broke away and smiled that lovable half crooked smile. "That" He said, simply, and Rachel blushed. "Well then, I guess we have a lot of catching up to do" She giggled, and pulled Finn's face back to her's.

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter - Chapter 9 will be up soon :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Time for a Change – Chapter 9

**Hey guys - Chapter 9 is up! Hope you like it :)**

The days following Kurt opening up to his friends, the mood in the apartment was peaceful. Everyone was at ease. Finn and Rachel were spending nearly every minute of the day in each others company, not wanting their semester break to end. Rachel knew that at some point, Finn would have to return home to Lima, and the thought of that put a big lump in her throat. She didn't want Finn to return to Lima. She wanted him to stay in New York with her, Kurt and Santana in the apartment. Finn had said that maybe once he had finished his first year of college, he might consider transferring to New York. Rachel didn't know how she was going to cope when Finn finally had to get on the plane, so she decided to just focus on the present and take one day at a time.

Though, the days soon went quickly buy, and Finn's two weeks in New York were coming to an end. The morning of when he was supposed to fly home to Lima, he gently woke Rachel and asked for her to come for a walk in Central Park with him. As they were walking through the park, Finn was reminded of the first time they were in New York together for their very first nationals competition in their junior year. He and Rachel had gone on a 'work date'. He could remember how beautiful Rachel was that day, and how happy he was to see her. Snapping out of his thoughts, Finn smiled at Rachel as she walked slowly beside him.

"I don't want you to go Finn" Rachel said quietly, looking at the ground as they walked together. They stopped walking and Finn turned to face her. "I know Rach, I don't want to leave either. I've had such a great time here" Rachel nodded in agreement. "Where do we stand Finn; you and I? I really want you back in my life and even though we'll both be in different cities, I still want to try to make it work with you. I don't want to say goodbye to you ever again" Rachel said, tears forming in her eyes. Finn took Rachel's face in hands. "Well you won't have to say goodbye to me, Rach. I mean, you will at the airport, but what I mean is, I'm not going to walk out of your life ever again; you can count on me. I really want to make it work with you too, despite the distance between our homes" He said, and Rachel smiled through her teary eyes and hugged Finn. Then, together they made their way back to the apartment.

Later that day, at the airport, the four friends had gathered together to say goodbye to Finn. "Please come and visit again and give my love to our parents. Also, thank you for helping me out" Kurt said, as he hugged his step brother tightly. Finn smiled. "I will, Kurt. Take care of yourself okay?" Kurt nodded.

"It was good to see you again, Frankenteen, and don't worry, I'll take good care of Berry for you" Santana said, and hugged Finn. Finn smiled and thanked Santana before turning to Rachel. She had been quiet the entire way to the airport, not saying a word to anyone, just staring out the window. Finn approached her, whilst Kurt and Santana hung in the background. "Rach, don't be sad. I promise we will call, Skype and message each other every day" He said, as Rachel threw her arms around him. "You promise?" She mumbled into his chest. "I promise Rach. This isn't the end; it's a whole new beginning" Finn said, and pulled Rachel back to look at him. She tried desperately to blink back her tears as she gazed at him. Finn stroked her cheeks with his hands. "I love you, Rachel Berry" He whispered. "I love you too, Finn Hudson" Rachel whispered back before Finn pulled her closer for a kiss. Tears rolled down Rachel's cheeks and they pulled away when they heard Finn's flight being announced for boarding. Rachel hugged Finn tightly once more before Santana and Kurt came and stood next to her and the three of them waved Finn goodbye.

That night, Rachel was lying on her bed, looking through her photo album again, tracing the photos of her and Finn with her finger. She had a song running through her mind that fit her mood and situation perfectly. Rachel lay down on her bed and sang the song in her mind. In her daydream, Finn was duetting with her.

_Finn:What time is it where you are?_

_**Rachel:**__ I miss you more than anything_

_**Finn:**__ I'm back at home, you feel so far_

_**Rachel:**__ Waiting for the phone to ring_

_**Finn**__: It's getting lonely living upside down, I don't even wanna be in this town. Trying to figure out the time zones making me crazy. _

_**Both**__: You say good morning, when it's midnight, going outta my head, alone in this bed. I wake up, to your sunset, and it's driving me mad, I miss you so bad and my, heart, heart, heart, is so jet lagged.__Heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged__  
__Heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged, is so jet-lagged__  
__**Rachel:**__What time is it where you are?__  
__**Finn:**__Five more days and I'll be home__  
__**Rachel**__: __I keep your picture in my car__  
__**Finn:**__I hate the thought of you alone__  
__**Rachel:**__ I__'ve been keepin' busy all the time__  
__Just to try to keep you off my mind__  
__**Both:**__Tryin' to figure out the time zones makin' me crazy__  
__**Finn**__: __You say good morning__  
__When it's midnight__  
__Going out of my head__  
__Alone in this bed__  
__I wake up to your sunset__  
__And it's drivin' me mad__  
__I miss you so bad__  
__And my heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged__  
__Heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged__  
__Heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged, is so jet lagged__  
__**Finn: **__I miss you so bad, _

_**Rachel**__: I miss you so bad, _

_**Finn**__: I miss you so bad,_

_**Rachel**__: I miss you so bad_

_**Finn**__: I miss you so bad_

_**Rache**__l: I wanna share your horizon__  
__**Finn**__: __I miss you so bad__  
__**Both**__: __And see the same sun rising__  
__**Rachel**__: __I miss you so bad__  
__**Both**__: __And turn the hour hand back to when you were holding me.__  
__**Finn**__: __You say good morning__  
__When it's midnight__  
__Going out of my head__  
__Alone in this bed__  
__I wake up to your sunset__  
__**Both**__: __And it's drivin' me mad__  
__I miss when you say good morning__  
__But it's midnight__  
__Going out of my head__  
__Alone in this bed__  
__I wake up to your sunset__  
__And it's drivin' me mad__  
__I miss you so bad__  
__And my heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged__  
__Heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged__  
__Heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged, is so jet-lagged, is so jet-lagged_

When the daydream ended, she sat up and looked out of her window, and whispered to herself "I miss you so much, Finn"

**Song used - Jet Lag by Simple Plan **


	10. Chapter 10

Time for a Change – Chapter 10

**Hey guys - Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, I've been busy since it****s the holidays and on Friday I'm going away, so I won't update again until Tuesday. Anyway, here is Chapter 10! I hope you like it, and thanks again for all the favourites/follows/reviews! :D**

Days had past since Finn's departure back to Lima, and Rachel was struggling. NYADA classes had started up again for the new semester and when she wasn't at home sitting in front of the TV watching movies with Santana to take her mind off things, she was at NYADA. Rachel also hadn't yet heard back from the producers about Funny Girl. She didn't mind at the moment, because right now she wanted to get her mind back into the semester and allow it to adjust from Finn leaving to go back to Lima. She knew that it wasn't goodbye, but still, the distance made her heart ache. They exchanged many calls and texts and had regular Skype sessions whenever they could, but it wasn't the same as seeing him in person and being able to hug, kiss and touch Finn.

Rachel sighed, exhausted from Miss July's dance class. Cassie had pushed the class beyond breaking point as a 'welcome back wake up call' as she liked to put it. It was to make sure that none of her students had lost their strength over the semester break. Putting on her jacket and picking up her bag, Rachel walked out of the studio, relieved that the class was finished. When she got back to the apartment, she went straight to her room and logged onto Skype. As soon as her laptop had signed her in, she straight away got a Skype call request from Finn. She accepted and Finn's bright face filled her screen.

"Hey Rach!" Finn beamed, happy to see her. "Hi Finn" Rachel replied, making herself comfortable on her bed. "How was your day?" Finn asked and Rachel proceeded to tell Finn all about her gruelling dance class and how tough Cassie was. "That's rough Rach, if I were in your class, I'd definitely struggle" Finn said, and Rachel giggled, remembering Finn's awkward dance moves in glee club. "Well, at least you can't break my nose again" She replied, and they both laughed. It felt so good to Skype with Finn. She had been looking forward to since their last session a few nights ago. Whenever one session finished, Rachel would always look forward to the next one. Seeing Finn and hearing his voice, even if it was just through her laptop screen, was enough to get Rachel through a really rough day.

"How's Kurt?" Finn asked, suddenly switching the topic to his step brother. Rachel smiled "He's good, much better than before. I heard him talking to Blaine on the phone the other day, and it seems like those two are at least friends or close friends or something" Finn nodded. "That's good. I was really concerned about him, even after he opened up to us" "Me too Finn; everyone needs a special someone in their lives" Rachel agreed. Both of them chatted for a few more minutes before Finn had to log off to finish some homework. They both promised to contact each other again as soon as possible.

After Finn had logged off, Rachel thought about Kurt, and how it seemed like he wanted to form a relationship with Blaine again. She knew that Kurt would probably be annoyed with her for trying to play matchmaker and that if he really wanted to get back together with Blaine, he would do it himself. But Rachel did want to help Kurt in some way. She thought back to her conversation with Finn while he was in New York, about them both wanting to help Kurt. She knew that Blaine was considering applying to NYADA and their student open day was coming up in a few weeks. If she could convince Blaine to come out to New York so she could give him a campus tour, she could hopefully reunite them again. Smiling to herself, Rachel dialled Blaine's number to see if he was up for a 'friendly chat'.

"Hey Blaine, whats up?" Rachel greeted warmly. "Hey Rachel, what a nice surprise" Blaine's cheerful velvet voice could be heard on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I was wondering if you were still interested in appyling to NYADA. Their open day is coming up and I was wondering if you were going, so I could give you a personal campus tour" Rachel said in her sweetest voice. "Yeah, I am still interested, that would be great Rachel" Blaine replied and Rachel smiled. "Great, I'll talk to you soon" She replied and ended the call.

"Who were you talking to?" Rachel jumped when she heard Kurt's voice and turned around to see him standing in the doorway. Rachel's cheeks turned slightly red. "Nothing. Shouldn't you be making dinner or something?" She stumbled and Kurt shrugged and walked away. Rachel bit her lip and grinned to herself when he had gone.

Later that night, Finn called Rachel on her phone. As soon as it started ringing, she dived for it and fell into her bed. "Hey Finn" Rachel smiled, glad to hear his voice again. "Hey Rach, you sound like you're in a good mood" Finn replied. "Yeah, I just convinced Blaine to come to New York without Kurt knowing. I'm kind of playing matchmaker at the moment" Rachel giggled. "Rach, do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, you know what Kurt's like when people poke their noses into his private life" Finn said. "Relax, Finn. I invited him to come visit NYADA since he is interested in applying there. If he and Kurt happen to meet, then it will be like a happy coincidence" Rachel replied, convinced that her plan was fool – proof. "You're so crafty, Rach" Finn laughed. Rachel giggled again. "I know. I have to go now Finn, but I'll talk to you soon. Good night Finn" "Good night Rach, I love you" Finn said, sleepily. "I love you too, Finn" Rachel smiled.


End file.
